We just got back from the Old City which was fantastic as usual. First we visited some friends (from Canada as it happens), and then since the old city is closed ot traffic on festivals, we parked at the Kind David hotel and walked down to the Old City, via the Jewish Quarter. We prayed at the Kotel (the Western Wall) and then walked back via the Arab souk to the old Rabbinate building next to the Great Synagogue to hear Nitsana Darshan Leitner talk about the work of Shurat Hadin, the Israel Law Center. She spoke about their recent win in the NY courts against the PLO, being awarded millions of dollars for victims of Palestinian terror. She spoke about other lawfare fights that they are running. Riveting stuff!

Lewy, LOL. But you're more correct than you guess. :) We have that exact conversation every year at the Seder. We always going up to Jerusalem every festival since the 3 main festivals are the pilgrimage festivals mentioned in the Torah. In which case, as you say, why say "next year"? The general reasoning is that the verse means "next year in Jerusalem in the rebuilt Temple". I can just imagine the headlines...

Our Seder was great! Very noisy with lots of singing and talking as well as earnest discussion of the Exodus story. We finished at 2.30 a.m.!

Florrie, it really was a very interesting talk. The cases themselves that she mentioned were not new to me. They've all been in the news. But explaining how they go about collecting the money in practice was very interesting, and amusing in some cases. Nitsana Darshan Leitner is an amazing, dedicated, energetic woman.

The hall was packed and they had to to open an upper floor of the auditorium to allow more people to attend.

The Old City now has a little train! It's so cute. :) It goes around the walls as far as I can make out, starting at Jaffa Gate and ending at the Kotel. It's great both for seeing the old city from the outside (the train has an audio-guide) and for avoiding the dozens and dozens of stairs that you need to climb down on the way to the Kotel, and back up (and up and up...) to get out via Jaffa Gate.

Here's an article in Hebrew, but the accompanying video has some English speaking American tourists: Old City train

It looks like a toy train, like Thomas the Tank Engine :)) I would have loved to have ridden on it but you have to book tickets in advance. One of these days they'll have a proper transport system in place in the Old City. We've waited 2,000 years, I guess we'll just have to be patient a little longer. :P

I wish I'd taken a photo of the stall in the shuk displaying a tallit (Jewish prayer shawl) hanging up, and draped around it 2 Christian shawls with crosses. Talk about keeping all our options open! :))

It's so nice to see you Annie! I can't wait to see pictures of your visit with Fay and Matt! I'm so excited you would think I was making the journey ensconced inside Fay's suitcase. (Hmmm, it it's a big enough case, I MIGHT fit...) :))